SCOTT REID

The company behind pâté maker Castle MacLellan Foods has doubled its profits with an expansion of its Kirkcudbright plant helping to underpin the rise.

Last year, Kavli UK completed a £5 million extension at the Castle MacLellan site, which employs 164 people and produces a range of meat and vegetarian pâtés.

Profits from all Kavli products, which also include Primula Cheese and St Helen’s Farm goat’s milk products, are donated to charity though the Kavli Trust – a charitable foundation and owner of the Kavli Group, which was set up in 1962 to distribute profits from the business to research, culture and humanitarian projects.

Kavli UK managing director Paul Lewney said: "We saw very positive growth across all our UK brands last year following recent investments. Castle MacLellan a major employer in the area so this is really positive news for the local community.

"While this growth is very satisfying from a business perspective it is the difference it will make to the work of the Kavli Group's owner the Kavli Trust which is most pleasing.

"This year the Trust will benefit from a record 150 million kroner (nearly £13.8m), up from 50 million kroner (£4.6m) in 2015, meaning even more charities and worthwhile organisations will receive support, and that gives us all immense job satisfaction."